tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-71987638645050211772018-01-15T08:46:26.670-08:00Nicholas AndrewsNicholas Andrewshttps://plus.google.com/117163042317337651547noreply@blogger.comBlogger41125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7198763864505021177.post-25035386592525514512017-08-11T21:03:00.000-07:002017-08-11T21:03:03.712-07:00You Gotta Keep 'em SeparatedIn August of 1997, I was fourteen years old and not really into music. There were songs I liked. I was even slowly building a compilation tape. But it was all stuff my parents listened to, such as Billy Joel, that I had grown up hearing. I had never had the thrill of discovering a band or a genre of music on my own. I had never purchased an album with my own money. That all changed when I went home with my copy of The Offspring's SMASH.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="215" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/g-BXxX1x4y8" width="360"></iframe></div><br />Though the album had been out for about three years, the first I heard of the Offspring was when I got into Extreme Championship Wrestling (ECW) in late 1996. Not only did Raven, their World Champion, use "Come Out and Play" as his entrance theme, they also played it over his t-shirt commercial, which was just clear enough to get it stuck in my head. The "You Gotta Keep 'em Separated" opening line resonated with me because it reminded me of when my sister and I used to fight like cats and dogs, leaving our poor mother to wonder why she had to "keep us separated" all the time.<br /><br />Though I liked the song, I was inexperienced in the matter of music, and didn't know the song's name, the band's name, or even where to purchase it. A few months later, I was at a friend's house for a party when one of our classmates began messing with the CD player. It got my attention when I heard that familiar opening beat, and immediately asked him who sang this song. He told me it was the Offspring. Over the summer, I was at my cousin's house. He had gone out for the night, and I was flipping through his CD collection when I came across the SMASH album. Although I knew the Offspring name now, I couldn't remember what the album was called that contained my now favorite song. I put it in, and finally figured it out after skipping through the tracks.<br /><br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Digression: An amusing story that came out of this occurred the next morning. As I listened to "Come out and Play" over and over, I kept the volume at a minimum because it was late at night and I didn't want to wake anyone. When morning came, my aunt had a difficult time getting my cousin out of bed. Thinking to help, I immediately went to the CD player and turned on music, as my parents had done to me many times when they had trouble waking me up. The problem was my assumption that the volume was still at the low volume I had left it at. At some point, my cousin had been listening to music before going to sleep at a moderate volume. Not knowing this, I immediately cranked up the volume so loud that the vibrations from the speakers blew a picture off the wall. My cousin DID wake up, though I was now the subject of his annoyance.&nbsp;</span></div><br /><br />So in August, I finally acquired a copy for my very own. Though I bought it on the strength of my love for one song, I soon discovered there was much more to this album than that. I couldn't have told you the difference between hard rock, soft rock, punk rock, or wuss rock. But this album opened me up to the punk style that the Offspring were so good at. There were rapid drum beats, buzzsaw guitar work, and a lot of cursing.<br /><br />The themes of the songs on SMASH opened my eyes even more. I believe I was drawn to them because most of what I considered music to that point was solely about relationships. The themes of this album were much more distant, much more fantastical to a kid growing up in the outer rim of the suburbs in Ohio. Like the fantasy stories I liked to read, these themes were something that could be but were not part of my reality: drug addiction, mental illness, road rage, government mistrust, gang violence, generational blame... it opened my eyes to the fact that there was much more going on in the world than what was happening in my little corner of Sieber Trace.<br /><br />I found things that were relatable as well, like the track "Gotta Get Away." I can't tell you how many times I felt like this during my early adolescence. Coming from a family that had no big issues, and therefore had to blow the little ones out of proportion, I spent many nights sitting on my bed like in the song, not sleeping, just worrying about things that turned out not to matter at all and wishing I could get out of my own head.<br /><br />"Self Esteem" of course had that unforgettable hook of complete gibberish, but what followed was a a tale of abuse and neglect. Though it was one of those "relationship songs," this was not about love. It was about how a man's self-esteem was so low he wouldn't break up with his girlfriend even though he knew the relationship was slowly destroying him.<br /><br />There were songs with powerful societal messages like "Genocide" and "Not the One." These songs were about the inevitability of cycles. Genocide's "And if in time / we could see the error of our ways / would anyone / change it anyhow?" stood out to me as a very powerful statement at the time. Likewise, Not the One was a statement against the establishment and railed against how they had fucked our world up, while conceding that we were doomed to make the same mistakes. "We're not the ones whose pollution blackened our skies and ruined our streams / We're not the ones who made the nuclear bombs that threaten our lives / We're not the ones who let the children starve in faraway lands / We're not the ones who made the streets unsafe to walk at night / And even if we try not to become too overwhelmed / and if we make some contribution to the plight we see / still our descendants will inherit all the mistakes we made / They'll suffer just the same as we and never wonder why!" closes out the song and still gives me chills when I listen to it.<br /><br />Just about every song on the album is catchy, but those are some of my favorites. Over the next few years, I would go on to discover a real love for rock and metal, and discover acts like Metallica, AC/DC, Rob Zombie and others on my own. But it's hard to believe that all started twenty years ago with a band who never achieved massive mainstream success, but one who I'll still listen to any time even in this day and age. They became a symbol that bridged my childhood and adulthood and definitely influenced how I see the world. And SMASH in particular will always have significance to me.<br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />Nicholas Andrewshttps://plus.google.com/117163042317337651547noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7198763864505021177.post-83606640040995342462017-06-03T23:09:00.001-07:002017-06-03T23:09:56.462-07:00A Sense of Sacrifice MapsThis page is for those who bought the e-book version of <i>A Sense of Sacrifice</i> and wish to view higher quality maps from various locations in the book.<br /><br /><br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><b>Map of Tormalia </b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-o0FzNSPzB0w/WO6ax7LWwmI/AAAAAAAAAO4/L4oJAr9XBy4F6ifMvJs4HVRU2WJt63UoQCLcB/s1600/tormaliafinal2.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-o0FzNSPzB0w/WO6ax7LWwmI/AAAAAAAAAO4/L4oJAr9XBy4F6ifMvJs4HVRU2WJt63UoQCLcB/s320/tormaliafinal2.png" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b>Part One: Center of the World</b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-N8AJWBbcGnk/WO6XYBcjuXI/AAAAAAAAAOk/ejFOTE82NcwfkuPu5jxmYxnaskHdMcTnwCLcB/s1600/dellain2.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-N8AJWBbcGnk/WO6XYBcjuXI/AAAAAAAAAOk/ejFOTE82NcwfkuPu5jxmYxnaskHdMcTnwCLcB/s320/dellain2.png" width="317" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b>Part Two: She Who Walks</b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-RpwB3VL8lRE/WO6XshcQnNI/AAAAAAAAAOo/tY1Kn4_-Y7Q2ngUn58LCJNDhaMNxxwGFQCLcB/s1600/cheidao.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-RpwB3VL8lRE/WO6XshcQnNI/AAAAAAAAAOo/tY1Kn4_-Y7Q2ngUn58LCJNDhaMNxxwGFQCLcB/s320/cheidao.png" width="317" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b>Part Three: Exemplus</b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-pJ5OQH9TDss/WO6X_I9wsHI/AAAAAAAAAOs/d2cFw0PuqcckN7jQaBwS_DLgsW1FvvjqwCLcB/s1600/miagama.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-pJ5OQH9TDss/WO6X_I9wsHI/AAAAAAAAAOs/d2cFw0PuqcckN7jQaBwS_DLgsW1FvvjqwCLcB/s320/miagama.png" width="317" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div>Nicholas Andrewshttps://plus.google.com/117163042317337651547noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7198763864505021177.post-70015533181689972922017-05-10T23:53:00.001-07:002017-05-10T23:54:09.172-07:00A Sense of Sacrifice: Available June 3!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-TXJgRs9e2S0/WRQJ4eLymyI/AAAAAAAAAPQ/9FewX1ZCi44d7G4io_nTVBCRlNBUgFmRwCLcB/s1600/asospreview.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-TXJgRs9e2S0/WRQJ4eLymyI/AAAAAAAAAPQ/9FewX1ZCi44d7G4io_nTVBCRlNBUgFmRwCLcB/s400/asospreview.png" width="400" /></a></div><h3 style="text-align: center;">&nbsp;<a href="https://www.amazon.com/dp/B06XXPSR9N">Pre-Order Now on Kindle!</a></h3>Nicholas Andrewshttps://plus.google.com/117163042317337651547noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7198763864505021177.post-67601363970455885672017-04-03T01:44:00.002-07:002017-04-03T01:44:42.124-07:00A Sense of Sacrifice coming on June 3! Kindle Preorder available now!<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-hIqVci_fXWs/VG09ppP3GXI/AAAAAAAAAKg/gdDkP4gD5KYVuuPEypoGS44IFJdCBFR3ACPcB/s1600/a%2Bsense%2Bof%2Bsacrifice6%2Bx%2B9%2Bebook%2Brev2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-hIqVci_fXWs/VG09ppP3GXI/AAAAAAAAAKg/gdDkP4gD5KYVuuPEypoGS44IFJdCBFR3ACPcB/s400/a%2Bsense%2Bof%2Bsacrifice6%2Bx%2B9%2Bebook%2Brev2.jpg" width="266" /></a></div><h3 style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.amazon.com/dp/B06XXPSR9N">Click here to preorder on Kindle!</a>&nbsp;</h3>On June 3, step back into the continent of Tormalia and continue the journey for the Elemental Stone with Nerris, Len-Ahl, and all the others. A Sense of Sacrifice will be available at Amazon and other retailers in both paperback and Kindle form but you can preorder it right now on Kindle and get it delivered to you on release day!<br /><br />Nerris and his companions have braved many dangers in their quest to find the Elemental Stone. But they were thrown off their journey when Qabala and her minions stole the Dagger of Paral, leaving them with no knowledge on how to find the next marker of the Faery Footpath. The only solution is to track the Yagol queen down, but she will do anything to keep them behind her as she carves out her own road in order to fulfill her selfish desires.<br /><br />Finding the Elemental Stone is the only way to stop Qabala and Eversor from dominating existence itself. But as they near their journey's end, Nerris must confront the ghosts of his past and find some way to live them in the present before they destroy the blossoming love between himself and the half-faery sorceress Len-Ahl.<br /><br />In the third book of The Law of Eight, Nerris and Len-Ahl continue to traverse the Faery Footpath: the ultimate journey of friendship, love, loss, hardship... and sacrifice. What they find at the outcome may truly be the end, or a new beginning for all.<br />The story continues on June 3!<br /><br />Cover art by&nbsp;<a href="http://keithdraws.wordpress.com/" target="_blank">Keith Draws Cover Art</a> Nicholas Andrewshttps://plus.google.com/117163042317337651547noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7198763864505021177.post-68754581842600036072016-02-21T13:36:00.001-08:002016-02-21T13:46:14.262-08:0030 Years of The Legend of Zelda<br /><div style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Lxn5Ow-BPkw/VsoqZKPn6-I/AAAAAAAAAMQ/myemAzWDV9I/s320/zelda01gif.gif" style="float: left; margin: 2px;" width="320" /> It came to my attention today that it is the 30th anniversary of the Japanese release of the Legend of Zelda. I've documented in the past how influential this game has been on my life, so in celebration I'm going to take a little look back to my childhood and try to tell the story in greater detail.</div><br /><br /><div style="text-align: left;">Though the Legend of Zelda was released in 1986, it was a couple of years before I first played it. I was only four at the time of its release, and not Japanese. Of course, it was eventually released in the US in the famous golden cartridge for the NES. Up until about 1988, I didn't know anything about the NES or video games in general. I had dabbled in them at various restaurants which had arcades. I was a little bit familiar with pinball games in particular, and I also remember playing Hogan's Alley at Max &amp; Erma's, and Castlevania at Pizza Hut. When I was in first grade, I remember it being around Christmas time. We had to write down our Christmas list as part of an assignment, and a lot kids said they were asking for a Nintendo. I had no idea what they were talking about.</div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-pNFGow08x7Q/VsoqZgY9wvI/AAAAAAAAAMU/hp2emInl4M4/s320/zelda03.jpg" width="320" /> </div><br />I got my first glimpse of one at my friend Brandon's house a few weeks later. I thought is strange, because I was an outside kid, but all he wanted to do that day was stay inside and play the Nintendo. I didn't know much about video games, so I declined to participate, and instead just sat down and watched him play. The three games he played that day were The Goonies II, Excitebike, and The Legend of Zelda. I found myself growing more and more fascinated as I watched him play Zelda, though I initially misunderstood to the concept of the health bar. I thought he was intending to lose hearts. Toward the end of my time there, I finally relented and Zelda was the first NES game I ever played. It was enough to hook me to the point where I couldn't get it out of my head. I felt like it was too close to Christmas to change my list, so I started saving up for a Nintendo myself. I got it from someone that an NES cost $100, and my dad said he would pay for half of it if I could save up the other half.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;">&nbsp;<img border="0" height="240" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-TWmJEOO9MBM/VsoqZusvxBI/AAAAAAAAAMc/2GV_X0V92Ic/s320/zelda02.jpg" width="320" /></div><br />It took a while with a meager $1 per week allowance, though birthday money from my grandparents helped out a bit, but I eventually managed to save up the $50. I came home from school one day and my dad already had the NES set up, and was playing Duck Hunt when I walked in. He explained that you couldn't just pick any game you wanted with the system, as it came with Super Mario Bros./Duck Hunt, but he had rented the Legend of Zelda, which I didn't even know was something you could do. The novelty of video games wore off quick with my parents, but for a while they were as into it as I was.<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="279" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-6IT7zqy-SZc/Vsornry-iGI/AAAAAAAAAMk/j2qN45ET8TM/s320/zelda05.PNG" width="320" /></div><br />&nbsp;The story premise is simple, as it tended to be in games of that time. One day, a young boy named Link encounters an old woman named Impa being attacked by the minions of Ganon. He saves her, and she tells him that Ganon has invaded the land of Hyrle and stolen the Triforce of Power. He has also kidnapped Princess Zelda, but before she was captures, she was able to break the Triforce of Wisdom into eight fragments and hide them away in secret dungeons, as well as task Impa with finding someone courageous enough to find the eight pieces and defeat Ganon. Impa implores Link to find them and save Zelda, and he vows to do so. The classic stuff of fantasy.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;">&nbsp;<img border="0" height="299" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-7YnMirvxamA/Vsor2N5CXXI/AAAAAAAAAMo/3ulaDhPW-os/s320/zelda06.png" width="320" /></div><br />Zelda was kind of unique for its time, as there really wasn't another game like it. It was sort of the original sandbox game. Instead of going from Point A to Point B, it was a lot less linear, encouraging exploration of an open world, with plenty of secrets to discover along the way. Instead of being limited to one weapon, there were a total of nine items you could use, each with their own effect. You had a sword, of course, but also bombs that could blow up enemies and uncover secret passages, a want that shot magic energy, a candle that could light up rooms or burn down trees to uncover more secret areas, and others. There sub-items which you couldn't use directly, but had more passive effects. A book of spells that enhanced your wand so that whatever it hit caught fire, a ladder to get you across chasms, and a master key that would unlock any dungeon door. You didn't necessarily have to complete every dungeon in order, and you were able to travel freely in on the overworld map. It even had a gambling mini-game, one of the first to appear in a video game. It was deeper than any anything else at the time.<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-cn36yAZz6Zc/VsosVvBgcyI/AAAAAAAAAMs/hQnkxQ7jMYQ/s1600/zelda07.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="254" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-cn36yAZz6Zc/VsosVvBgcyI/AAAAAAAAAMs/hQnkxQ7jMYQ/s320/zelda07.png" width="320" /></a></div><br />Though I didn't realize it then, the game was my first foray into the world of epic fantasy. I had been into other things with fantasy elements, such as Masters of the Universe, but this was my first time encountering what I would consider purely a fantasy story. That led to getting into games like Dragon Warrior and Final Fantasy a few years later, all before I even knew fantasy literature existed. Of course, my love for the genre did eventually find its way to books and that led me to what I do today.<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-uFi6tB4SS5o/VsoskE8IGXI/AAAAAAAAAM0/3cuPZyWgpC0/s1600/zelda08.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="220" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-uFi6tB4SS5o/VsoskE8IGXI/AAAAAAAAAM0/3cuPZyWgpC0/s320/zelda08.png" width="320" /></a></div><br />Years later, I read that Miyamoto's inspiration from the game came from his own childhood, exploring the caves, fields, and forests around Kyoto. He wanted to impart the same sense of exploration and wonder into the game. Considering I spent my childhood exploring the woods around my homes, it's not a secret to everyone why I enjoyed it so much.<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-dA-93aAlE34/Vsos46Yq6tI/AAAAAAAAAM4/zBsMqQsG7O8/s1600/zelda09.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-dA-93aAlE34/Vsos46Yq6tI/AAAAAAAAAM4/zBsMqQsG7O8/s1600/zelda09.png" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>Believe it or not, this helped me practice as I was learning how to read.</i></span></div><br /><br />Happy birthday, Legend of Zelda. It makes me glad that the franchise survives to this day and is hopefully as inspiring to today's generation as it was to mine.<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-7jpRB_RjKA4/VsotZVXPwqI/AAAAAAAAANA/HmN9lD6tpeQ/s320/atcover.jpg" width="210" /></div><br /><br /><br />Nicholas Andrewshttps://plus.google.com/117163042317337651547noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7198763864505021177.post-78795647676063017222016-02-01T11:38:00.000-08:002016-02-01T11:38:02.444-08:00Lost Chapters: Priority<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-2LLaU6IwS7I/Vq-xIDsrSsI/AAAAAAAAAL8/AGwVF_KRwrk/s200/priority.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="220" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-2LLaU6IwS7I/Vq-xIDsrSsI/AAAAAAAAAL8/AGwVF_KRwrk/s200/priority.jpg" width="320" /></a><span style="color: white;">Some of my writing was featured today on <a href="http://genrereader.com/2016/02/01/lost-chapters-priority">Genre Pulse</a> in their Lost Chapters section. For those unfamiliar, they publish excerpts from books that their writers once started, but long since abandoned.</span><br /><br /><span style="color: white;">Priority was meant to be sort of mash-up of contemporary scifi/shoot 'em up. It was written in a few hours one boring night in 2003 when I was living with one of my best friends. One of the MCs' love for late-night cartoons, as well as the time travel plot, came from watching Cartoon Network's Adult Swim and an episode of Mystery Science Theater, which I was watching as I was writing. Since I only had a setup in mind, and absolutely no idea where I was going with it, it was quickly forgotten and thus remains unfinished.&nbsp;</span><br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: white;"><span style="font-size: large;">P<span style="font-size: small;">RIORITY </span></span></span></div><br /><span style="color: white;">Rafe had to go. He didn’t have any place in particular that he needed to be, he needed togo go. It was with much discomfort that he told Jody to pull over. Jody was irritated, but he steered his ’79 Monte Carlo into the parking lot of a local fast food restaurant, grumbling all the while about not making it home in time for his favorite cartoons.&nbsp;</span><br /><br /><center><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="http://genrereader.com/2016/02/01/lost-chapters-priority">CLICK HERE for the rest!</a></span></center><br /><br /><br />Nicholas Andrewshttps://plus.google.com/117163042317337651547noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7198763864505021177.post-35899905861444335892015-12-05T13:09:00.000-08:002015-12-05T13:09:33.735-08:00Fantasy & Science Fiction 99 cent Ebook Sale!<div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://pattyjansen.com/promo" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img border="0" height="208" src="https://pbs.twimg.com/media/CVevkWYUYAAIwHJ.jpg" width="400" /></a> </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />I'm part of another huge promo this weekend on science fiction and fantasy books. Get <a href="http://www.amazon.com/dp/B005LFYPZK">The Adventure Tournament</a> for only 99 cents!<br /><br />Quite a few other titles are available too. Check them out at the following page: <a href="http://pattyjansen.com/promo">Fantasy &amp; Science Fiction 99c Sale</a><br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-EhlWSXA1DCw/UjTe1gQeD0I/AAAAAAAAADk/Fo0WKN7bxCU/s1600/atcoverfinal320.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-EhlWSXA1DCw/UjTe1gQeD0I/AAAAAAAAADk/Fo0WKN7bxCU/s320/atcoverfinal320.jpg" width="209" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><br />Big thanks to Patty Jansen for setting up this promo. </div>Nicholas Andrewshttps://plus.google.com/117163042317337651547noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7198763864505021177.post-35375792617934567242015-09-11T13:28:00.004-07:002015-09-11T13:28:58.382-07:00Science Fiction and Fantasy 99 cents Promo (9/11-9/14)<div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://pattyjansen.com/promo/99c-books" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img border="0" src="https://cascade.madmimi.com/promotion_images/1024/3038/original/September_promo500.jpg?1441590902" /></a> </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />I'm part of a huge promo this weekend on science fiction and fantasy books. Get <a href="http://www.amazon.com/dp/B005LFYPZK">Secrets of the Stonechaser</a> for only 99 cents!<br /><br />Quite a few other titles are available too. Check them out at the following page: <a href="http://pattyjansen.com/promo/99c-books">Science Fiction and Fantasy September Promo</a><br /><br />Big thanks to Patty Jansen for setting up this whole thing. </div>Nicholas Andrewshttps://plus.google.com/117163042317337651547noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7198763864505021177.post-32274734548155470972015-06-17T12:35:00.001-07:002015-06-17T12:35:53.479-07:00Interview: June Jests<br /><a href="http://www.clipartpal.com/_thumbs/pd/education/large_open_book.png" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://www.clipartpal.com/_thumbs/pd/education/large_open_book.png" height="220" width="320" /></a> <span style="color: white;">I was the subject of</span> <a href="http://www.audramiddleton.com/">Audra Middleton's</a> <span style="color: white;">June Jests interview today. Thank you to Audra for having me, and here is a little sample:&nbsp;</span><br /><br /><br /><span style="color: white;">Audra: What is the most challenging aspect of writing humor?&nbsp;</span><br /><br /><span style="color: white;">Nicholas: For me, sitting down to write it. The reason I've only had two books in The Adventurers series so far is that, though I don't have a bipolar disorder, my personality does lean that way, and I switch between funny and serious on a dime. When serious or bad things are happening in life, it's a struggle to sit down and try to be funny. Luckily most of my humor comes from the characters and flows naturally once I get going. I often find myself having to rein in the humor in my more serious works, because often something funny will come into mind on the spot as I'm writing just out of the relationship between the characters and their situation. Luckily, The Adventurers books aren't one story broken up into parts, but each novel is a standalone. So it's a series that I can drop and pick back up whenever I have the inspiration without worrying about having to get the next installment out to keep readers hooked on an ongoing story. &nbsp;</span><br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.audramiddleton.com/monthly-blog/interview-with-author-nicholas-andrews">CLICK HERE for the full interview!</a></div>Nicholas Andrewshttps://plus.google.com/117163042317337651547noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7198763864505021177.post-63810257955691271232015-02-27T17:38:00.000-08:002015-02-27T17:44:31.248-08:00No Sleep Til Brookbel<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-apl3QHJzJw8/Ulfe28y2y_I/AAAAAAAAAD0/_HOsV-NmUVI/s1600/stonechaser%2BRev%2Bfor%2Bkindle.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-apl3QHJzJw8/Ulfe28y2y_I/AAAAAAAAAD0/_HOsV-NmUVI/s1600/stonechaser%2BRev%2Bfor%2Bkindle.jpg" height="200" width="125" /></a>In a <a href="https://sites.google.com/site/noahkmullettegillman/home/ten-things-we-need-to-know/issue-3-12-21-14-paul-levinson-steve-lebel">recent interview</a>, I was asked about how I came up with character names. And I thought this might make an interesting elaboration in blog form. I know some authors take great care in the symbolism behind every name, and some just choose something that sounds evocative. Mine are a little bit of both.<br /><br />I spoke in a <a href="http://thenykkshow.blogspot.com/2014/06/behind-pencil-origins-of-saga.html">previous blog</a> about my original outline for the first chapter of what would become <a href="http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00GZHSDC4"><i>Secrets of the Stonechaser</i></a>. It shows that the first iteration of the main character's name was Eris. I believe this is what Nerris evolved from. I also mentioned the Final Fantasy VII influence, and that was how I got Qabala's name. The antagonist of the game was named Sephiroth, and since the Sephirot are the ten attributes of the Kaballah, I decided that the antagonist of my series would be named Qabala, which is an alternate spelling.<br /><br />Some names are often references to things from my own life. A lot of noble house names that have or haven't been mentioned yet in The Law of Eight (Ashworth, Mills, Wiseman, Moore, Thornhill) came from classmates or teachers. Of course, I'm also a professional wrestling fan, so many came from certain wrestlers' real or ring names (Calloway, Copeland, Reso, Pearce, Runnels). Some are even people who I know AND are wrestlers (Sager, Deeb, Lane).&nbsp; <br /><br />The biggest reference to my own life is with House Palada, which is where Nerris comes from. Palada itself isn't based on anything, and I think I chose it because it sounded like <i>paladin</i>. Sort of how Jhareth Kanave is similar to <i>knave</i>. But House Palada is from Brookbel, which is a direct reference to my hometown of Bellbrook. Their sigil is a golden eagle's head on a purple field. Bellbrook's high school mascot is a golden eagle, and its colors are... you guessed it, purple and gold.<br /><br />Originally Haladast, the Thrillseekers' hometown, was supposed to be this world's Bellbrook reference. Melantha's wedding, where the Thrillseekers reunite after their hiatus, was the Oak Forest Festival in the original draft. The Oak Forest Festival referenced the Sugar Maple Festival that is held every year in Bellbrook. Oakwood, a village close to Haladast, was directly named after a town close to Bellbrook.<br /><br />Anyway, that's just a sample of how I came up with some names. At least the most interesting ones.<br /><br /><br />P.S. Bonus points if you know what the title of this blog post references. Nicholas Andrewshttps://plus.google.com/117163042317337651547noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7198763864505021177.post-59586530722471774392015-01-19T13:16:00.001-08:002015-01-19T13:16:34.737-08:00Celebrate National Book Week!<div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00GZHSDC4/?tag=nichoandre-20" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Bl7efML5Z4Q/VL1y_M5lRFI/AAAAAAAAALM/4o4eQJoEcBQ/s320/sotsad.jpg" height="265" width="400" /></a></div>Nicholas Andrewshttps://plus.google.com/117163042317337651547noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7198763864505021177.post-31126994041715505712014-12-31T23:05:00.001-08:002014-12-31T23:05:53.256-08:00Mad SF/F $0.99 Sale!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://pattyjansen.com/blog/mad-science-fiction-january-sale" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"></a><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-UM3gsE9ceD0/VJ9aJzTGJLI/AAAAAAAAAKs/ir338syexs4/s1600/Facebook-January-promo.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-UM3gsE9ceD0/VJ9aJzTGJLI/AAAAAAAAAKs/ir338syexs4/s1600/Facebook-January-promo.jpg" height="146" width="400" /></div><br />Myself and many other authors have gotten together to offer e-book titles for only $0.99 today! Be sure to click the banner above to access the promo page and see what will be available during the sale.<br /><br />I will be offering <a href="http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00GZHSDC4">Secrets of the Stonechaser</a>, Book 1 of The Law of Eight. Get it today for a very big discount!Nicholas Andrewshttps://plus.google.com/117163042317337651547noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7198763864505021177.post-86356219384660806462014-12-23T12:46:00.001-08:002014-12-23T12:53:08.990-08:00New Interview<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.clipartpal.com/_thumbs/pd/education/large_open_book.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://www.clipartpal.com/_thumbs/pd/education/large_open_book.png" height="220" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: left;">Author Noah Mullette-Gillman was kind enough to have me on his website recently<b> </b><a href="https://sites.google.com/site/noahkmullettegillman/home/ten-things-we-need-to-know/issue-3-12-21-14-paul-levinson-steve-lebel">for an interview</a>.<b> </b>Check out a little sample below:</div><div style="text-align: left;"><b><br /></b></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /><span style="color: white;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b><span style="font-family: Verdana;"><span style="font-family: Verdana;"><span style="font-family: Verdana;"><span style="font-family: Verdana;"><span style="font-family: Verdana;"><span style="font-family: Verdana;"><span style="font-family: Verdana;"><span style="font-family: Verdana;"><span style="font-family: Verdana;"><span style="font-family: Verdana;"><span style="font-family: Verdana;"><span style="font-family: Verdana;"><b>NOAH K. MULLETTE-GILLMAN:</b></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span> </span></b><span style="font-family: Verdana;">What's the hardest part, for you, about writing fantasy?</span></span></span></div><div dir="ltr"><span style="color: white;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span></div><div dir="ltr"><span style="color: white;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Verdana;"><b>NICHOLAS ANDREWS:</b> Logistics can be tough sometimes. In a contemporary story, if you need characters to be in a certain place they can get on a plane and be halfway around the world in twelve hours. Not so in a fantasy without flight or automotive travel. The characters need a realistic amount of story time to get where they're going, and if you depict the travel to get there, you have to make sure interesting things are happening along the way.</span></span></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b><a href="https://sites.google.com/site/noahkmullettegillman/home/ten-things-we-need-to-know/issue-3-12-21-14-paul-levinson-steve-lebel">Read the Full Interview HERE!</a></b></div>Nicholas Andrewshttps://plus.google.com/117163042317337651547noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7198763864505021177.post-85859330382252340662014-11-19T17:03:00.000-08:002014-11-19T17:03:17.896-08:00A Sense of Sacrifice Cover RevealI'm still quite a ways from finishing it, but I went ahead and commissioned the artwork for <i>A Sense of Sacrifice</i>, Volume III of The Law of Eight series!<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-hIqVci_fXWs/VG09ppP3GXI/AAAAAAAAAKc/G-ToNH-Ejfc/s1600/a%2Bsense%2Bof%2Bsacrifice6%2Bx%2B9%2Bebook%2Brev2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-hIqVci_fXWs/VG09ppP3GXI/AAAAAAAAAKc/G-ToNH-Ejfc/s1600/a%2Bsense%2Bof%2Bsacrifice6%2Bx%2B9%2Bebook%2Brev2.jpg" height="640" width="425" /></a></div><br />Nicholas Andrewshttps://plus.google.com/117163042317337651547noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7198763864505021177.post-74238110174927803742014-08-02T11:29:00.002-07:002014-08-02T11:29:58.304-07:00New InterviewsI gave a couple of interviews recently on some other independent author blogs. Thanks to KJ Bryen and Judy Goodwin for hosting me on their sites!<br /><br /><br /><a href="http://plungingintothenovel.blogspot.com/2014/07/interview-with-nicholas-andrews.html">Take the Plunge: Interview with Nicholas Andrews</a><br /><br /><br /><a href="https://judygoodwin.wordpress.com/2014/07/25/author-interview-nicholas-andrews/">My Writerly World: Interview with Nicholas Andrews</a>Nicholas Andrewshttps://plus.google.com/117163042317337651547noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7198763864505021177.post-13325114481935871582014-07-25T11:30:00.003-07:002014-07-25T11:34:29.921-07:00The Law of Eight Available in Kindle UnlimtedAs you may or may not know, in the last week Amazon has rolled out their <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Kindle-eBooks/b/ref=gsd_ku_lp?_encoding=UTF8&amp;ie=UTF8&amp;node=9578129011&amp;pfShowFeatures=&amp;ref_=gsd_ku_lp#">Kindle Unlimited</a> program. Subsribers can pay $9.99 per month to receive unlimited access to over 600,000 books. There is a free trial for the first month.<br /><br />Most titles that you could borrow for free through Amazon Prime and the Kindle Online Lending Library are enrolled in Unlimited. Since my Law of Eight books are in the KOLL, that means if you are a subscriber to Kindle Unlimted, you can now read them for free. Check them out now:<br /><br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_noss?url=search-alias%3Ddigital-text&amp;field-keywords=The+Law+of+Eight+Nicholas+Andrews&amp;rh=n%3A133140011%2Ck%3AThe+Law+of+Eight+Nicholas+Andrews">The Law of Eight on Kindle</a></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-apl3QHJzJw8/Ulfe28y2y_I/AAAAAAAAAD0/_HOsV-NmUVI/s1600/stonechaser+Rev+for+kindle.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-apl3QHJzJw8/Ulfe28y2y_I/AAAAAAAAAD0/_HOsV-NmUVI/s1600/stonechaser+Rev+for+kindle.jpg" height="320" width="200" /></a><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-YDkj1NjahQc/U0oU86MgGaI/AAAAAAAAAHE/a9By2HQ2Pds/s1600/Lawof+Eight+for+kindle.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-YDkj1NjahQc/U0oU86MgGaI/AAAAAAAAAHE/a9By2HQ2Pds/s1600/Lawof+Eight+for+kindle.jpg" height="320" width="200" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><br />Nicholas Andrewshttps://plus.google.com/117163042317337651547noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7198763864505021177.post-83994326438657499252014-06-11T22:58:00.001-07:002014-06-11T23:00:17.229-07:00Behind the Pencil - Origins of a SagaUpon the recent release of <a href="http://thenykkshow.blogspot.com/p/nykks-books.html" target="_blank">Follow the Faery Footpath</a>, I was thinking about when this whole Law of Eight saga started. This series isn't a recent idea... it's been in my mind for almost two decades now. The first thing I ever created which was related to this product was the <a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-00JP2EWS8SA/UpmDWzfellI/AAAAAAAAAEA/Ml6teLKHrUI/s1600/tormaliahq.png" target="_blank">Map of Tormalia</a>, which I drew when I was about fourteen or so, literally more than half my life ago. I did it just to draw a map; I didn't have a story in mind yet.<br /><br />Eventually, however, I came across something that inspired an outline of a first chapter to a story that changed so much that the original concept was gone by the time I even put pencil to paper on the first draft.<br /><br />On Christmas of 1996, my sister and I received a Nintendo 64. I endured a lot of teenage stress over whether or not it would happen, since it was a launch year, and N64s were about as easy to come by as digging for diamonds in the back yard. So I was elated until about a month later, when I picked up the January 1997 issue of Electronic Gaming Monthly, a popular video game magazine at the time. In it was a preview for <i>Final Fantasy VII</i>. I was heavily into <i>Final Fantasy VI </i>(or III at the time) on the SNES, so this was a disappointment to say the least. Because FF7 would be exclusively for the Sony Playstation.<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-4L0nItqzDTA/U5kyGqTnpAI/AAAAAAAAAHI/yty1ViIl9dY/s1600/electronic_gaming_monthly_090_-_1997_jan_194.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-4L0nItqzDTA/U5kyGqTnpAI/AAAAAAAAAHI/yty1ViIl9dY/s1600/electronic_gaming_monthly_090_-_1997_jan_194.jpg" height="400" width="308" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i>"Did I back the wrong Console Horse?" -15 year old Me</i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">Not only had the graphics improved leaps and bounds, but the story sounded so cool. This preview was a review of the demo disc that came packaged with the Playstation game <i>Tobal No. 1</i>. It took players through the first scenes of the game, where ex-SOLDIER Cloud Strife and Barret, leader of a resistance group called AVALANCHE, broke into a Mako energy plant to set a bomb.&nbsp;</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">It was a carrot dangled in front of me. I was obsessed with FF6, so not being able to play the next game drove me batty, to put it mildly. I hid this from my parents. I knew they weren't about to spring for another console months after having to do what I was sure were unspeakable things to get their hands on a launch N64 (my theory involved them hijacking a plane from Japan and killing at least two men). I also didn't want them to feel bad by changing my tune so quickly after letting them think they surprised me (I actually knew about the gift months before Christmas, but that's another story). I also did not want the deaths of those Japanese pilots to be in vain.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">The description and pictures of the game's opening left an indelible imprint in my mind that could not be denied, so one day when I was in English class I started an outline for a story, which turned out to be my own take on the assault on the Mako reactor. My scanner isn't installed at the moment, but here is an accurate MS Word representation of that sheet of notebook paper. Red numbers are marks I've made which I will address below:</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-qIEFAszGauQ/U5k_RK5tMHI/AAAAAAAAAHc/Z5Zb7K8rxDU/s1600/kladhol.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-qIEFAszGauQ/U5k_RK5tMHI/AAAAAAAAAHc/Z5Zb7K8rxDU/s1600/kladhol.png" height="400" width="375" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i>&nbsp;I promise I stayed inside the margins... mostly.</i></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="color: red;">(1)</span> What's the Kladhol? Hell if I know. Perhaps this is the earliest reference to the Elemental Stone, but who knows. Every name I wrote here was just testing the waters and trying to come up with something catchy. The name of the first book went through several iterations as I searched for something that sounded good. At one point it was also titled <i>Jade Eyes</i>, <i>Cloudless Skies</i>, and <i>The Judgment Hour</i> (which is actually an awesome title, but it didn't fit the story that eventually came out).</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="color: red;">(2)</span> I've never named the world that <i>The Law of Eight </i>takes place in, and I had forgotten the name Partore until I read it here. Asolia eventually became Tormalia... or more likely I wrote Tormalia on my original map and couldn't remember what I had called it, since I was in school and my map was at home.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="color: red;">(3)</span> On the original paper, it is very obvious that I originally wrote charactErs, erased it, and put charactOrs. Score one for teenage me.&nbsp;</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="color: red;">(4)</span> Eris eventually evolved into Nerris, though I dropped the nicknames. His age is listed here at 31, but he went through a couple of ages. He was 24 in my original draft, but was aged up to 26 eventually.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="color: red;">(5)</span> The most obvious difference is that my eight assassins were eventually whittled down to four. Watane's role as the young, emotionally headstrong one eventually evolved into Chalis.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="color: red;">(6)</span> The society's elder, at the old, wizened age of 36, was eventually replaced by the 60-something Rade.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="color: red;">(7)</span> No one had yet told me that "Saber" and Sabre" were the same thing.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="color: red;">(8)</span> This role was eventually filled by Mikaren in the final draft.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="color: red;">(9)</span> Obviously the sides in this were changed to the leader of a rebellion sending assassins to the King of Yagolhan. Bayonia's name was changed to Chei-Dao and made into a Chinese-inspired society.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="color: red;">(10)</span> I liked the idea of one member of the team securing the escape route, and that stayed all the way to the final draft.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-GWSU_A6GR3Y/U5k7kd55pCI/AAAAAAAAAHU/N4H5S7BHdCI/s1600/egm01.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-GWSU_A6GR3Y/U5k7kd55pCI/AAAAAAAAAHU/N4H5S7BHdCI/s1600/egm01.png" height="244" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <o:OfficeDocumentSettings> <o:RelyOnVML/> <o:AllowPNG/> </o:OfficeDocumentSettings></xml><![endif]--> <br /><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><i>Once he was out of sight, Nerris turned away from the barracks and headed to the east. Mikaren had gone this direction, to secure their safe passage from the Aeternica. -Secrets of the Stonechaser, Chapter One</i></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">&nbsp;As for weird things like "most dedicated member" or "most homicidal member," who knows what I meant by that.</span></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Obviously I never got the chance to finish, either because of class ending or the teacher telling me to shut up and pay attention... I don't know why I would have been talking out loud as I was writing... but I shelved it for a while and by the time I started earnestly outlining the book, the concept had completely changed in my mind.&nbsp;</span></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">I still liked the idea of beginning with a bang. In a fantasy setting there is no real equal to blowing up a power plant, but my assassination idea sufficed well enough. Originally the idea for the novel series was tentatively called <i>The War of Eleven Nations</i>. Much like the assassination of Archduke Ferdinand started World War I, these events would have kicked off a war, with a bunch of kingdoms getting involved and the story would have mainly been about the alliances and betrayals and battles the characters got caught up in.&nbsp;</span></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Thanks for joining me as I delved into the creative mind a bit and shared a little of the madness behind the method. Don't forget, <a href="http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00GZHSDC4" target="_blank">Secrets of the Stonechaser</a> is available right now, exclusively at Amazon.&nbsp;</span><i> </i></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"></span></span><i><span style="font-family: &quot;Palatino Linotype&quot;,&quot;serif&quot;; font-size: 9.0pt;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"></span></span></span></i><span style="font-family: &quot;Palatino Linotype&quot;,&quot;serif&quot;; font-size: 9.0pt;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"></span></span></span><i><span style="font-family: &quot;Palatino Linotype&quot;,&quot;serif&quot;; font-size: 9.0pt;"><br /></span></i></div><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:WordDocument> <w:View>Normal</w:View> <w:Zoom>0</w:Zoom> <w:TrackMoves/> <w:TrackFormatting/> <w:PunctuationKerning/> <w:ValidateAgainstSchemas/> <w:SaveIfXMLInvalid>false</w:SaveIfXMLInvalid> <w:IgnoreMixedContent>false</w:IgnoreMixedContent> <w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText>false</w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText> <w:DoNotPromoteQF/> <w:LidThemeOther>EN-US</w:LidThemeOther> <w:LidThemeAsian>X-NONE</w:LidThemeAsian> <w:LidThemeComplexScript>X-NONE</w:LidThemeComplexScript> <w:Compatibility> <w:BreakWrappedTables/> <w:SnapToGridInCell/> <w:WrapTextWithPunct/> <w:UseAsianBreakRules/> <w:DontGrowAutofit/> <w:SplitPgBreakAndParaMark/> <w:DontVertAlignCellWithSp/> <w:DontBreakConstrainedForcedTables/> <w:DontVertAlignInTxbx/> <w:Word11KerningPairs/> <w:CachedColBalance/> </w:Compatibility> <m:mathPr> <m:mathFont m:val="Cambria Math"/> <m:brkBin m:val="before"/> <m:brkBinSub m:val="--"/> <m:smallFrac m:val="off"/> <m:dispDef/> <m:lMargin m:val="0"/> <m:rMargin m:val="0"/> <m:defJc m:val="centerGroup"/> <m:wrapIndent m:val="1440"/> <m:intLim m:val="subSup"/> <m:naryLim m:val="undOvr"/> </m:mathPr></w:WordDocument></xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:LatentStyles DefLockedState="false" DefUnhideWhenUsed="true" DefSemiHidden="true" DefQFormat="false" DefPriority="99" LatentStyleCount="267"> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="0" SemiHidden="false" UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Normal"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" SemiHidden="false" UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="heading 1"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" QFormat="true" Name="heading 2"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" QFormat="true" Name="heading 3"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" QFormat="true" Name="heading 4"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" QFormat="true" Name="heading 5"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" QFormat="true" Name="heading 6"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" QFormat="true" Name="heading 7"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" QFormat="true" Name="heading 8"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" QFormat="true" Name="heading 9"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 1"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 2"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 3"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 4"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 5"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 6"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 7"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 8"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 9"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="35" QFormat="true" Name="caption"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="10" SemiHidden="false" UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Title"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="1" Name="Default Paragraph Font"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="11" SemiHidden="false" UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Subtitle"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="22" SemiHidden="false" UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Strong"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="20" SemiHidden="false" UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Emphasis"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="59" SemiHidden="false" UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Table Grid"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Placeholder Text"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="1" SemiHidden="false" UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="No Spacing"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" SemiHidden="false" UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Shading"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" SemiHidden="false" UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light List"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" SemiHidden="false" UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Grid"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" SemiHidden="false" UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 1"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" SemiHidden="false" UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 2"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" SemiHidden="false" UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 1"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" SemiHidden="false" UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 2"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" SemiHidden="false" UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 1"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" SemiHidden="false" UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 2"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" SemiHidden="false" UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 3"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" SemiHidden="false" UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Dark List"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" SemiHidden="false" UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Shading"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" SemiHidden="false" UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful List"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" SemiHidden="false" UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Grid"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" SemiHidden="false" UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Shading Accent 1"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" SemiHidden="false" UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light List Accent 1"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" SemiHidden="false" UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Grid Accent 1"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" SemiHidden="false" UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 1"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" SemiHidden="false" UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 1"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" SemiHidden="false" UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 1"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Revision"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="34" SemiHidden="false" UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="List Paragraph"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="29" SemiHidden="false" UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Quote"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="30" SemiHidden="false" UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Intense Quote"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" SemiHidden="false" UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 1"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" SemiHidden="false" UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 1"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" SemiHidden="false" UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 1"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" SemiHidden="false" UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 1"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" SemiHidden="false" UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Dark List Accent 1"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" SemiHidden="false" UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 1"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" SemiHidden="false" UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful List Accent 1"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" SemiHidden="false" UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 1"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" SemiHidden="false" UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Shading Accent 2"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" SemiHidden="false" UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light List Accent 2"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" SemiHidden="false" UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Grid Accent 2"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" SemiHidden="false" UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 2"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" SemiHidden="false" UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 2"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" SemiHidden="false" UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 2"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" SemiHidden="false" UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 2"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" SemiHidden="false" UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 2"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" SemiHidden="false" UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 2"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" SemiHidden="false" UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 2"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" SemiHidden="false" UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Dark List Accent 2"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" SemiHidden="false" UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 2"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" SemiHidden="false" UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful List Accent 2"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" SemiHidden="false" UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 2"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" SemiHidden="false" UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Shading Accent 3"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" SemiHidden="false" UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light List Accent 3"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" SemiHidden="false" UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Grid Accent 3"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" SemiHidden="false" UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 3"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" SemiHidden="false" UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 3"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" SemiHidden="false" UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 3"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" SemiHidden="false" UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 3"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" SemiHidden="false" UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 3"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" SemiHidden="false" UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 3"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" SemiHidden="false" UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 3"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" SemiHidden="false" UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Dark List Accent 3"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" SemiHidden="false" UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 3"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" SemiHidden="false" UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful List Accent 3"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" SemiHidden="false" UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 3"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" SemiHidden="false" UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Shading Accent 4"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" SemiHidden="false" UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light List Accent 4"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" SemiHidden="false" UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Grid Accent 4"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" SemiHidden="false" UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 4"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" SemiHidden="false" UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 4"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" SemiHidden="false" UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 4"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" SemiHidden="false" UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 4"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" SemiHidden="false" UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 4"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" SemiHidden="false" UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 4"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" SemiHidden="false" UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 4"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" SemiHidden="false" UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Dark List Accent 4"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" SemiHidden="false" UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 4"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" SemiHidden="false" UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful List Accent 4"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" SemiHidden="false" UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 4"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" SemiHidden="false" UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Shading Accent 5"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" SemiHidden="false" UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light List Accent 5"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" SemiHidden="false" UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Grid Accent 5"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" SemiHidden="false" UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 5"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" SemiHidden="false" UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 5"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" SemiHidden="false" UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 5"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" SemiHidden="false" UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 5"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" SemiHidden="false" UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 5"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" SemiHidden="false" UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 5"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" SemiHidden="false" UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 5"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" SemiHidden="false" UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Dark List Accent 5"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" SemiHidden="false" UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 5"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" SemiHidden="false" UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful List Accent 5"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" SemiHidden="false" UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 5"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" SemiHidden="false" UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Shading Accent 6"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" SemiHidden="false" UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light List Accent 6"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" SemiHidden="false" UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Grid Accent 6"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" SemiHidden="false" UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 6"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" SemiHidden="false" UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 6"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" SemiHidden="false" UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 6"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" SemiHidden="false" UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 6"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" SemiHidden="false" UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 6"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" SemiHidden="false" UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 6"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" SemiHidden="false" UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 6"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" SemiHidden="false" UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Dark List Accent 6"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" SemiHidden="false" UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 6"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" SemiHidden="false" UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful List Accent 6"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" SemiHidden="false" UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 6"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="19" SemiHidden="false" UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Subtle Emphasis"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="21" SemiHidden="false" UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Intense Emphasis"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="31" SemiHidden="false" UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Subtle Reference"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="32" SemiHidden="false" UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Intense Reference"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="33" SemiHidden="false" UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Book Title"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="37" Name="Bibliography"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" QFormat="true" Name="TOC Heading"/> </w:LatentStyles></xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 10]><style> /* Style Definitions */ table.MsoNormalTable {mso-style-name:"Table Normal"; mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0; mso-tstyle-colband-size:0; mso-style-noshow:yes; mso-style-priority:99; mso-style-qformat:yes; mso-style-parent:""; mso-padding-alt:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; mso-para-margin-top:0in; mso-para-margin-right:0in; mso-para-margin-bottom:0in; mso-para-margin-left:.5in; mso-para-margin-bottom:.0001pt; text-indent:-.25in; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:11.0pt; font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-font-family:Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-theme-font:minor-fareast; mso-hansi-font-family:Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin;} </style><![endif]--></div>Nicholas Andrewshttps://plus.google.com/117163042317337651547noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7198763864505021177.post-15498875996902784642014-06-09T11:26:00.000-07:002014-06-09T11:28:20.585-07:00Follow the Faery Footpath available now and Secrets of the Stonechaser FREE on Kindle for limited time!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-YDkj1NjahQc/U0oU86MgGaI/AAAAAAAAAFk/GiPHlyd4EB0/s1600/Lawof+Eight+for+kindle.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-YDkj1NjahQc/U0oU86MgGaI/AAAAAAAAAFk/GiPHlyd4EB0/s1600/Lawof+Eight+for+kindle.jpg" height="320" width="200" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00KO1L0TK/?tag=nichoandre-20" target="_blank">Kindle</a></span> <span style="font-size: large;">|</span> <span style="font-size: large;"><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Follow-Faery-Footpath-Eight-Volume/dp/1499119550/?tag=nichoandre-20" target="_blank">Paperback</a></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">Today Follow the Faery Footpath, Book 2 in The Law of Eight series, is officially released! Get it now on Amazon, available in both paperback and ebook. But that's not all. Get both Law of Eight books so far essentially as two for the price of one. I'm running a free Kindle promotion on Book 1, Secrets of the Stonechaser, through June 11. Go to Amazon now and get your copy!</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-apl3QHJzJw8/Ulfe28y2y_I/AAAAAAAAAD0/_HOsV-NmUVI/s1600/stonechaser+Rev+for+kindle.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-apl3QHJzJw8/Ulfe28y2y_I/AAAAAAAAAD0/_HOsV-NmUVI/s1600/stonechaser+Rev+for+kindle.jpg" height="320" width="200" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00GZHSDC4/?tag=nichoandre-20" target="_blank"><span style="font-size: large;">Kindle</span></a> <span style="font-size: large;">|</span> <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Secrets-Stonechaser-The-Eight-Volume/dp/1493713450/?tag=nichoandre-20" target="_blank"><span style="font-size: large;">Paperback</span></a></div>Nicholas Andrewshttps://plus.google.com/117163042317337651547noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7198763864505021177.post-51847395794784243812014-06-09T05:00:00.000-07:002014-06-09T11:15:51.949-07:00Follow the Faery Footpath MapsThis page is for those who buy the e-book version of <i>Follow the Faery Footpath</i> and wish to view higher quality maps from various locations in the book.<br /><br /><br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><b>Map of Tormalia </b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-00JP2EWS8SA/UpmDWzfellI/AAAAAAAAAEA/Ml6teLKHrUI/s1600/tormaliahq.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-00JP2EWS8SA/UpmDWzfellI/AAAAAAAAAEA/Ml6teLKHrUI/s1600/tormaliahq.png" height="264" width="320" /></a> </div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b>Part One: Hunter of the Shadows</b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-teNCE4gSbxs/U4KrItSf1PI/AAAAAAAAAGk/Fnpuy2KZ2FE/s1600/raddoni.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-teNCE4gSbxs/U4KrItSf1PI/AAAAAAAAAGk/Fnpuy2KZ2FE/s1600/raddoni.png" height="320" width="317" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b>Part Two: Inquisition of the Preserver</b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-4DAfnLcL0Tw/U4KrX5IsjLI/AAAAAAAAAGs/D95Ca8ivD44/s1600/promeha.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-4DAfnLcL0Tw/U4KrX5IsjLI/AAAAAAAAAGs/D95Ca8ivD44/s1600/promeha.png" height="320" width="317" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b>Part Three: Paraldalei</b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-iuplPlfvXWU/U4Krnv4HZ2I/AAAAAAAAAG0/H4UbhOB-JEw/s1600/sicoria2.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-iuplPlfvXWU/U4Krnv4HZ2I/AAAAAAAAAG0/H4UbhOB-JEw/s1600/sicoria2.png" height="320" width="317" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div>Nicholas Andrewshttps://plus.google.com/117163042317337651547noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7198763864505021177.post-88733553673814177022014-05-03T23:35:00.000-07:002014-05-03T23:35:01.088-07:00Follow the Faery Footpath Official Announcement - Available June 9!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-YDkj1NjahQc/U0oU86MgGaI/AAAAAAAAAFk/GiPHlyd4EB0/s1600/Lawof+Eight+for+kindle.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-YDkj1NjahQc/U0oU86MgGaI/AAAAAAAAAFk/GiPHlyd4EB0/s1600/Lawof+Eight+for+kindle.jpg" height="400" width="250" /></a></div><br />On June 9, step back into the continent of Tormalia and continue the journey for the Elemental Stone with Nerris, Len-Ahl, and all the others. Follow the Faery Footpath will be available at Amazon in both paperback and Kindle form.<br /><br /><span id="freeText12581952348266669371"></span><br />When the Thrillseekers reunited, they did not know the treasure they sought was the first marker of the Faery Footpath, a journey which would lead them to a godstone... one half of magic’s last earthly legacy. With Len-Ahl the Stonechaser leading the way, they seek the second marker within the iconic tomb of an ancient king. For with the Elemental Stone, they can put an end to the ambitions of Queen Qabala, as well as the evil power she serves.<br /><br />However, Qabala has not been idle. Even as her forces prepare for war with the east, the holder of the world’s other remaining godstone trails after Nerris and his companions. Her allies are not only human, but from beyond the world as well. A ferocious dragon is spotted in the Tormalian skies, and a deadly beast known as the Malkind awakens from its ancient imprisonment.<br /><br />The Thrillseekers must also contend with internal struggles as new faces join their journey, and unscrupulous agents seek to destabilize the alliance of the eastern kingdoms. Nerris and Len-Ahl find they must hold true to their quest, and to each other, as the fight for the fate of the world draws near.<br /><br />The story continues on June 9!<br /><br />Cover art by&nbsp;<a href="http://keithdraws.wordpress.com/" target="_blank">Keith Draws Cover Art</a> <br />Nicholas Andrewshttps://plus.google.com/117163042317337651547noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7198763864505021177.post-60898871761103142122014-04-12T21:40:00.000-07:002014-04-12T21:40:45.269-07:00Follow the Faery Footpath Cover RevealComing this June-ish!<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-YDkj1NjahQc/U0oU86MgGaI/AAAAAAAAAFg/f3LVgj9Yh4Q/s1600/Lawof+Eight+for+kindle.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-YDkj1NjahQc/U0oU86MgGaI/AAAAAAAAAFg/f3LVgj9Yh4Q/s1600/Lawof+Eight+for+kindle.jpg" height="640" width="400" /></a></div><br />Nicholas Andrewshttps://plus.google.com/117163042317337651547noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7198763864505021177.post-21926423102695465792014-01-12T15:08:00.000-08:002014-01-12T15:08:09.588-08:00The Edge of Pride Cover RevealA sneak preview of the cover for the third installment of The Thrillseekers: Cadets of Gauntlet, continuing the adventures of Nerris, Dist, and Jhareth's days attending the fighting school Gauntlet. Coming soon to an e-reader near you!<br /><br />For information on the first two <i>Cadets of Gauntlet</i> stories, as well as the main novel series <i>The Law of Eight</i>, please visit the Books page. <br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-W8xfyf8bS40/UtMfmRZ19HI/AAAAAAAAAFI/t15n9xQ6CdI/s1600/eopcover.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-W8xfyf8bS40/UtMfmRZ19HI/AAAAAAAAAFI/t15n9xQ6CdI/s640/eopcover.jpg" width="420" /></a></div><br />Nicholas Andrewshttps://plus.google.com/117163042317337651547noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7198763864505021177.post-44506909549003716292013-12-16T08:16:00.000-08:002013-12-16T08:16:37.597-08:00The Invisible Thieves now available for FREE!The Invisible Thieves, one of my novelettes and first episode in <i>The Thrillseekers: Cadets of Gauntlet </i>series, is now available for free at Amazon, Barnes &amp; Noble and other major e-tailers. For those who have read <i>Secrets of the Stonechaser</i>, this is a prequel series detailing Nerris, Dist, and Jhareth's time at the fighting school Gauntlet during their teen years, and the adventures they encountered.<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-p0WuIgIzhJM/Uq8mlCuybiI/AAAAAAAAAE0/s5OJAOPF20I/s1600/itcover6.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-p0WuIgIzhJM/Uq8mlCuybiI/AAAAAAAAAE0/s5OJAOPF20I/s320/itcover6.jpg" width="210" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00BIBE4AW" target="_blank">Kindle</a> | <a href="http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-invisible-thieves-nicholas-andrews/1114668538?ean=2940045481977" target="_blank">Nook</a> | <a href="http://store.kobobooks.com/en-US/ebook/the-invisible-thieves" target="_blank">Kobo</a></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div>This is a short story of approximately 11,600 words.<br /><br /> Nerris, Dist and Jhareth are three boys from Oak Forest who want something better than their lives as common folk. They have come all the way to the city of Orrigo, the location of the famed fighting school Gauntlet. It is a place that has produced many of the best warriors in Tormalia, and they aim to be among them.<br /><br /> However, the realities of the situation soon set in. Nerris, Dist and Jhareth have no money for tuition, and go about getting it by any means necessary. An antique collector taps them to steal an old idol from the home of the city's ruler, Lord Gaviel Feigh. The boys quickly get more than they bargained for as they come to know the meaning of an old adage:<br /><br /> It's nice to look up at the sky, but watch where you're stepping.<br /><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div>Nicholas Andrewshttps://plus.google.com/117163042317337651547noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7198763864505021177.post-61487841623302173182013-12-05T18:49:00.003-08:002013-12-05T18:49:40.155-08:00Secrets of the Stonechaser Now Available - Debut Week Special!Secrets of the Stonechaser, the first book in the Law of Eight series, is now available on Amazon! To celebrate its release, from now until 12:00 AM on December 13, grab it on Kindle for only 99 cents!<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-apl3QHJzJw8/Ulfe28y2y_I/AAAAAAAAAD0/_HOsV-NmUVI/s1600/stonechaser+Rev+for+kindle.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-apl3QHJzJw8/Ulfe28y2y_I/AAAAAAAAAD0/_HOsV-NmUVI/s320/stonechaser+Rev+for+kindle.jpg" width="200" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Secrets-Stonechaser-Law-Eight-1/dp/1493713450?tag=nichoandre-20" target="_blank">Paperback</a> | <a href="http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00GZHSDC4?tag=nichoandre-20" target="_blank">Kindle</a></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;">&nbsp;</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: small;">At one time, Nerris Palada had been part of the Thrillseekers, adventurers legendary in the continent of Tormalia. After years spent winning the hearts of the people and being immortalized in song and story, they went their separate ways. Now a mercenary, Nerris has become involved in the civil war gripping the country of Yagolhan, and mired in a dark place within his soul.<br /><br />When evil forces emerge, Nerris is driven out of his army and left to fend for himself. A chance encounter reunites Nerris with his friends in their home village, and the Thrillseekers embark on one last grand adventure. Joined by the mysterious, fledgling sorceress Len-Ahl, the fellowship soon finds itself on a mission much bigger than their own desires. What they seek could free the world from a dark threat that has gripped it since antiquity.<br /><br />When the dust has settled between gods and godlings, kings and commoners, and magic and mystery, Nerris may sink back into darkness or rekindle the joy, happiness and love of life he once knew.</span> </span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div>Nicholas Andrewshttps://plus.google.com/117163042317337651547noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7198763864505021177.post-3087024395031284652013-11-29T22:27:00.001-08:002013-11-29T22:38:34.601-08:00Secrets of the Stonechaser MapsThis page will serve as a landing for those who buy the e-book of <i>Secrets of the Stonechaser</i> and wish to view higher quality maps from various locations in the book.<br /><br /><br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><b>Map of Tormalia </b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-00JP2EWS8SA/UpmDWzfellI/AAAAAAAAAEA/Ml6teLKHrUI/s1600/tormaliahq.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-00JP2EWS8SA/UpmDWzfellI/AAAAAAAAAEA/Ml6teLKHrUI/s1600/tormaliahq.png" height="264" width="320" /></a> </div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b>Part One: Aristian Flames</b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-fyblOTSmC-c/UpmEDI3lYEI/AAAAAAAAAEI/z8ZBPIPiHmg/s1600/neyagolhan.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-fyblOTSmC-c/UpmEDI3lYEI/AAAAAAAAAEI/z8ZBPIPiHmg/s1600/neyagolhan.png" height="320" width="317" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b>Part Two: Xenea Dolchin</b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-AcXerwRpxsk/UpmEU-XIZOI/AAAAAAAAAEQ/F1exFKiBnAg/s1600/faerna.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-AcXerwRpxsk/UpmEU-XIZOI/AAAAAAAAAEQ/F1exFKiBnAg/s1600/faerna.png" height="320" width="317" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b>Part Three: Road of Hardship </b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-avdKdydlKP8/UpmHUzdl9MI/AAAAAAAAAEk/i8GGDR7rb10/s1600/seyagolhan.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-avdKdydlKP8/UpmHUzdl9MI/AAAAAAAAAEk/i8GGDR7rb10/s1600/seyagolhan.png" height="320" width="317" /></a></div><br /><br />Nicholas Andrewshttps://plus.google.com/117163042317337651547noreply@blogger.com0